The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1887-11-26
The most smiled at Us ana said: ~rners is

the man who is really monarch of all he sur
veys."
1t was saddening to turn from the cripple
to the others Many of them were equally
gifted intellectually, yet they had never at
tanned his cSntentment with his lot
A man in rough jacket, with careless
air, which was contradicted by his face, said:
swell, l fancy have had wider experience
than any of you, if change of employment
gives experience. There are few things
have not tried, but never succeeded in any.
| have been an errand boy, plow boy, a
peddler, miner, an engineer and an express
man. have written dismal trash to sell to
vilely cheap and mean papers. have taught
grown men to read in exchange for a crust
of bread. have distributed advertisements
at street corners; and now am just where
was when started. have no home I left
my last boarding place without paying, but
left my only good coat behind instead. I
slept last night in car depot, and picked up
few cigar ends to keep the hunger off this
morning. would take any job; but people
don't seem to want jobs done just now. They
look at me suspiciously and say: There's
lots of work if you only bestir yourself and
look for it'p
"You and I are much alike," said man
opposite II have looked for work both in
and out of my profession. am a musician,
young and unknown. have heard you all
talk of being poor, but when man loses
many possible good chance in his business
through the want of postage stamp at the
right time, I tell you he knows something of
poverty, though he may have good coat on
his back In our profession poverty is a mat
ter of course. We may be even famous and
starve. Meanwhile l am obliged to keep up
appearances and live in decent house."
"Yes," said woman near him, s'and dare
say not your own house. Well, if poor
boarde1s have their troubles, don't think
that tie boarding house keeper sleeps on
bed Of roses. There is a hopeless side to pow
erty, and contented side, and an expectant
side. But know of another. 1t is the ludi-
crous side. My husband died in debt There
was only the weary old way to support my
self. | opened a boarding house.
wish ladies could go lower down to
make money. I had not the strength
of mind to do differently from others
of my set, and I think with us women
that is one of the great causes of our
troubles We don't dare to face the worlds
talk, even when there is nothing to be
ashamed of. had a hard time with ineffi-
cient servants, for did not thrive and could
notpay high enough prices to secure good ones.
But sent for two of my nieces, as poor as my
self, and together we did the work and shared
the profits Let me say to you that if you
are poor and have tolerable health, do your
own work By that means we got on and
had order and cleanliness, and though life is
not exactly delightful to US, it is tolerable.
Gas to the ludicrous side of poverty. We
see enough of it. So many little shifts and
pretenses, though they are pathetic enough
sometimes. began by asking rather high
prices, and if they were refused, let the
rooms stay empty. But my purse began to get
empty too, and was obliged to compromise.
Sometimes did not like mans manner or
woman's costume, and / was stiff, which
lost me considerable money Then again,
some mems business was not to my taste,
though they were very silent and unobtrusive
themselves. lost many good boarder the
first year by standing too much on
my dignity If dancing master
generally teaches department. to his
pupils, l think some one should
teach bankers daughter, in view of certain
possibilities, how to attract and deal pleas
antly with boarders. If it were not good
thing to be merry under the worst circum-
stances, should not detain you so long with
my experiences; but if we persistently ignore
the humor that is concealed in almost every
stage of poverty, we are making ourselves
more miserable than God intended US to be-"
Then she went on to enumerate the ludicrous
incidents which her poor boarders treated
her to day by day.
''If money troubles were everything" said
moody man, "you would all be quarreling
who was the worst off among you. You
might be rich in money, and yet broken and
worthless .
My host whispered to me that this man
had lost his faith in woman. Then he
pointed out a pale woman in good but not
snowy clothing, who was yet more wretched
than the poorest at the feast. Her husband
cared nothing for her. She was dying of a
broken heart. Just opposite her were man
and woman whom no recital seemed to
affect. Their only child had been suddenly
killed few weeks before.
My friend pointed out a man at the bottom
of the table. He had an uneasy eye and
restless conscience. I asked what this man
had DONE
s'Set traps for the feet of others, said my
host s'In old times, legends say, men sold
their own souls. He has sold those of Others
Anciently, to trample on the Cross was the |
moisy saolii nisa.. o1ulu ~. 81 sO 4la @ ouo
no nsas oone'on iiis ieeO vi.e vely
about town Ineed not tell you more"
Near him sat woman with faded shawl,
a soiled and rakish bonnet, brazen face and
dirty hands. No teaching, no help, no good
example, no chance of good had ever come to
her. And there was woman in Partisan
dinner dress who sat between two men of the
of society. She was more hopeless looking
than her neighbors. She had no work, No
object save pleasure ever stirred her.
Then my host told me in low tones, while
the others were talking among themselves,
how he had gathered these people together
for this extraordinary Thanksgiving feast |
Some he had met by accident. Others he
hunted up, going into dismal places to find
them. The most despairing were the ones he
chose He said:
ssIO some sent formal invitations by post |